You might mistakenly believe that our trip to Italy was all about seeing new to us places and exploring a country rich in culture and history. All true, but really it was about this young lady and God smiling on her. My daughter’s favorite book series is Lisa Bergren’s River of Time time travel series. I’ve read it twice as well — partly to share something with this young lady, and partly because it’s that good. So when my boss asked me if we wanted to spend a month in Siena, she said yes. Immediately. Without taking a breath. Or looking at me. Or asking her dad. She was all in to explore the city Gabriella and Evangelina loved.
In the
River of Time series, readers become deeply embedded in an action, time-travel, romance. Yes, all of that is packed into one series. It’s based on the idea that these American teenagers find a time portal back to medieval Italy. The guys are…hot…like need their own calendar hot. (Think teenage girls — my daughter kept looking for a calendar to take back to a friend, but there weren’t any). The action is intense. The relationships complicated. And the setting real. The spiritual threads are real and flow naturally with the plot. And the romance is enough to engage teens without going to a place this momma is not willing to let her girl go.
Abigail had the thrill of reading scenes set at the Campo in Siena while sitting on the stones of the Campo. She took us through the Etruscan exhibit at the Vatican Museum because of learning about the Etruscans in this series. As a mother, I love how much this series turned on her love of history. She has voluntarily studied medieval Italy and explored it further. She has literally inhaled books that highlight that time period. It’s also a delight to hear her laugh out loud as she rereads these books over and over. Warning, the final book does require a box of tissues — even for my non-crier.
If you have a young adult in your life who loves to read, you have to introduce them to the River of Time series. And if you love well written books that flow in a tight series, you must try the River of Time series for yourself. You’ll be glad you did!